Toddler - running away

I am new to this group and hope to get some new ideas. My dd is 2 1/2. I hope to learn from this group how to teach her to be well behaved without getting frustrated or being negative. I know I need to check out some of the resources in your welcome post. In the mean time I am stuck and worried about one behavior - running away. Dd likes to run away from me and her dad. She has done it by a pool twice, in the store, and outside. I was giving her a warning and then time out. When it became a problem I explained that when I said stop she needed to stop immediately or she would go to time out (no warning). I have tried to practice with her and praise her when she listens. Yesterday in the store she was forced to sit in her stroller because she didn't stop when we said. I have no idea what I could do to get her attention enough to make her stop. I though the store incident would have an impact, but she did it again last night when we were out in the neighborhood.

Comments (4)

When there is a dangerous situation (cars, crowded place, water etc) hold her hand or put her in the stroller, shopping cart etc. I think the average 2 1/2 year old (or even 4 year old) simply does not have the impulse control yet to just be safe in public. Even if the child is very well behaved and wants to follow the rules, I would not trust a toddler to remember not running when something really exciting is in the area (could be something as simple as a ball or candy).

I agree about holding hands in dangerous places. With DS I found that saying "stop" only made him run all the more. What we did was practice "red light, green light" and I told him red means stop and green meant go and we just played. Now when I say "red light" he stops and says "stop!". I make sure when I say red light that I stop myself and bend down to his level. I think it's less intimidating and he is more likely to come back to me when I am not looming over him.
Julie

--

Julie

"This is my family. I found it, all on my own. It's little, and broken, but still good. Yeah, still good. ~Stitch

DS fought hand holding, but when I told him it was only for parking lots and/or dangerous places and was consistent with the hand holding it became habit for him. Now I just say "hand" and he gives me his hand.
Julie

--

Julie

"This is my family. I found it, all on my own. It's little, and broken, but still good. Yeah, still good. ~Stitch